Stanford football: A behind-the-scenes look at the rise from 1-11 to the Sun Bowl

Coach Jim Harbaugh believes the Stanford football team’s dramatic improvement over the past three years is due to “the thousand little things that everybody doesn’t think are important.”

But the resurgence, which culminates in a Sun Bowl appearance this morning, is also due to one very big thing: A commitment by the university’s administration, which reputedly has been more interested in winning Nobel Prizes than football games.

“Whenever any program at Stanford, athletic or academic, goes through a troubled stretch,” provost John Etchemendy said in an email interview, “we try to bring it up to Stanford standards.”

The football team hit bottom during the 2006 season, when it compiled a 1-11 record — its worst mark in almost four decades. The players were unhappy, the stands were empty, and the coaches were underpaid. The gap between Stanford and its archrival, Cal, seemed wider than San Francisco Bay.

“Stanford football was in danger of becoming irrelevant,” said Ted Leland, who served as athletic director from 1991-2005. “Since that season, there has been an escalation in the institutional commitment to football.”

In addition to hiring Harbaugh in December of 2006, Bowlsby has raised salaries, beefed-up staff, and revamped the strength-and-conditioning and sports-medicine programs that are central to a successful team.

“There was some catching-up to be done,” Bowlsby said.

The result is Stanford’s first bowl appearance in eight years. Only one team is nationally ranked in today’s showdown against Oklahoma, and it’s not the Sooners.

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Hired in the spring of ’06, Bowlsby had a front-row seat for the football meltdown that followed. Two days after the season, he fired coach Walt Harris, whose drill-sergeant approach had rubbed many players the wrong way, creating animosity and, even worse, indifference.

To rebuild the program, Bowlsby turned to Harbaugh, the former NFL quarterback who brought passion and energy, a familiarity with Stanford — his father was an assistant coach in the 1980s — and an ability to relate to the players.

But Stanford football needed more than a new coach. It also needed a new infrastructure.

“Bob is systematically attacking what he saw as the sources of the program’s weaknesses,” Etchemendy wrote.

Bowlsby increased the size of the football staff, creating a handful of positions focused on recruiting — thereby allowing the coaches to spend more time coaching.

He took a paltry recruiting budget of approximately $250,000, which was half that of Stanford’s Pac-10 peers, and raised it to league standards (closer to $500,000).

And he has increased the salary pool for assistant coaches from $1.1 million to about $2 million, close to market rate. This allows Harbaugh to hire and retain quality assistants — a crucial component to success given the complexity of Stanford’s admissions process.

“You can win without the best facilities,” Harbaugh said. “But it’s tough if there’s a weak link on the staff.”

The money for the football upgrades, Bowlsby said, comes from fundraising, ticket sales and television appearances. “We’re not taking from other sports,” he added. “We eat what we kill.”

At the same time, Bowlsby has convinced the university to make Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in school history (more than $1.2 million per year) and to provide housing relief to Harbaugh’s assistants.

That takes several forms: rent allowances; homes for the offensive and defensive coordinators; and condominium units for other assistants — all of it in close proximity to campus.

“Paying coaches was a hurdle, and we’re darn close to market rate,” said Ray Purpur, Stanford’s deputy director of athletics. “We have the most expensive housing market in the country for major college football, and we’ve offset that.

“All those things are pieces to the puzzle.”

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The infrastructure upgrades initiated by Bowlsby coincided with a different approach to the admissions process under Richard Shaw, who was appointed dean in the summer of 2005.

Shaw embraces the role of sports in the university culture. He plans to attend the Sun Bowl, calls it a “privilege” to watch Stanford’s coaches at work and said he takes “great pride in the success of our teams.”

That view stands in stark contrast to that of Shaw’s predecessor. Robin Mamlet was not a fan of major college athletics, sources said. The inconsistency of her decisions and poor communication between her office and the coaches caused problems for many Stanford teams. (Mamlet could not be reached for comment.)

Shaw said Mamlet’s approach was never discussed with the Stanford administration prior to his appointment, but from the outset, sources said, he took a more opened-minded view of athletics — not surprising given that he was once the dean of admissions at Michigan.

“I’ve been around Big Ten sports,” he said.

Without compromising Stanford’s admissions standards, Shaw has been consistent in his rulings and willing to communicate his expectations to coaches in all sports. That has created more efficiency in the multi-year process of getting high school recruits admitted.

“He’s a straight-shooter,” Harbaugh said. “He says, ‘Bring me a guy with a certain (academic) profile.’ And then it’s up to us to take those parameters to the high school coaches and the kids and the parents and say, ‘Here’s what it will take.’

“When you can get the process started with sophomores and juniors, it’s easier. And if the kids know the bar they have to hit, they’ll get to it.”

That bar varies by recruit, just as it does for all students. (Approximately 10 percent of freshman applicants are admitted at Stanford.) Admittance depends on a slew of factors, including socio-economic background. But the same general standards that were used to admit star running back Toby Gerhart in 2006 (before Harbaugh was hired) were used to admit starting quarterback Andrew Luck in 2008.

“Compromises on admissions are not what has turned the (football) program around,” Etchemendy wrote. “Just take a look: Both Toby and Andrew were high school valedictorians.”

XXXXXXXXXXXX

As Bowlsby worked to upgrade the football infrastructure, Harbaugh went about fixing the on-field product. His first move, and perhaps his most important, was to improve the players’ attitudes.

“You look at the numbers, from one win to eight wins, and there’s a direct relationship between not liking football and having a passion for the game,” said offensive lineman Chris Marinelli, a fifth-year senior.

“We needed direction in a bad way, and the coaches provided it. You can’t accomplish anything without wanting to be here every day.”

Harbaugh also created a more competitive atmosphere — in the weight room, on the practice field, everywhere.

He revamped the strength program, preached toughness and instilled a belief that Stanford could beat anyone anywhere (and it did, shocking USC in October of ’07 in one of the greatest upsets in history).

He installed a power running game to take advantage of his best player, Gerhart, who finished second in the recent Heisman Trophy voting.

And Harbaugh worked with Bowlsby to ensure that every branch of the medical staff is on the same page, leading to a stronger, healthier team that recovers faster from injuries.

“There was a disconnect when we first got here,” Harbaugh said. “Now, it’s more of a team effort by everybody.

“To me, it’s easy to see that Stanford, with all its resources, can be a bully in football like it’s a bully academically.”

When it wants to be.

“I think it’s great,” said Leland, the former athletic director. “The university has an obligation to provide the players with an opportunity to win.”

*** Here’s a not-quite-final version (a third draft, so to speak) of a story that will appear in Thursday’s Mercury News.

Like the story on Cal’s improved graduation rate, which published in November, this ran on page A1, which means it was written for a broader audience than a typical sports story. (Some of the information, but hopefully not most of it, might be old news to the Cardinal faithful.)

An example of the non-sports style would be this: Instead of referring to the Stanford football “program,” a term that’s very familiar to college sports fans, the story always uses the word “team.”

To the story …

Coach Jim Harbaugh believes the Stanford football team’s dramatic improvement over the past three years is due to “the thousand little things that everybody doesn’t think are important.”

But the resurgence, which culminates in a Sun Bowl appearance this morning, is also due to one very big thing:

A commitment by the university’s administration, which reputedly has been more interested in winning Nobel Prizes than football games.

“Whenever any program at Stanford, athletic or academic, goes through a troubled stretch,” provost John Etchemendy said in an email interview, “we try to bring it up to Stanford standards.”

The football team hit bottom during the 2006 season, when it compiled a 1-11 record — its worst mark in almost four decades.

The players were unhappy, the stands were empty, and the coaches were underpaid. The gap between Stanford and its archrival, Cal, seemed wider than San Francisco Bay.

“Stanford football was in danger of becoming irrelevant,” said Ted Leland, who served as athletic director from 1991-2005. “Since that season, there has been an escalation in the institutional commitment to football.

“And I’m glad they’re doing it. The university has an obligation to provide the players with a chance to win.”

In addition to hiring Harbaugh in December of 2006, Bowlsby has raised salaries, beefed-up staff, and revamped the strength-and-conditioning and sports-medicine programs that are central to a successful team.

“There was some catching-up to be done,” Bowlsby said.

The result is Stanford’s first bowl appearance in eight years. Only one team is nationally ranked in today’s showdown against Oklahoma, and it’s not the Sooners.

****************

Hired in the spring of ’06, Bowlsby had a front-row seat for the football meltdown that followed. Two days after the season, he fired coach Walt Harris, whose drill-sergeant approach had rubbed many players the wrong way, creating animosity and, even worse, indifference.

To rebuild the program, Bowlsby turned to Harbaugh, the former NFL quarterback who brought passion and energy, a familiarity with Stanford — his father was an assistant coach in the 1980s — and an ability to relate to the players.

But Stanford football needed more than a new coach. It also needed a new infrastructure.

“Bob is systematically attacking what he saw as the sources of the program’s weaknesses,” Etchemendy wrote.

Bowlsby increased the size of the football staff, creating a handful of positions focused on recruiting — thereby allowing the coaches to spend more time coaching.

He took a paltry recruiting budget of approximately $250,000, which was half that of Stanford’s Pac-10 peers, and raised it to league standards (closer to $500,000).

And he has increased the salary pool for assistant coaches from $1.1 million to about $2 million, close to market rate. This allows Harbaugh to hire and retain quality assistants — a crucial component to success given the complexity of Stanford’s admissions process.

“You can win without the best facilities,” Harbaugh said. “But it’s tough if there’s a weak link on the staff.”

The money for the football upgrades, Bowlsby said, comes from fundraising, ticket sales and television appearances. “We’re not taking from other sports,” he added. “We eat what we kill.”

At the same time, Bowlsby has convinced the university to make Harbaugh the highest-paid coach in school history (more than $1.2 million per year) and to provide housing relief to Harbaugh’s assistants.

That takes several forms: rent allowances; homes for the offensive and defensive coordinators; and condominium units for other assistants — all of it in close proximity to campus. And 25-unit complex for coaches in all sports, and some athletic department staff, is expected to open next summer.

The football team used to lose a plethora of assistant coaches each winter — Harris lost half his staff following his first season — often because of the cost of living on the Peninsula. But in Harbaugh’s three years, only three assistants have left.

“If you look at the football program over the years, you can see the hurdles it’s faced,’’ said Ray Purpur, Stanford’s deputy director of athletics.

“Paying coaches was a hurdle, and we’re darn close to market rate. We have the most expensive housing market in the country for major college football, and we’ve offset that.

“All those things are pieces to the puzzle.’’

****************

The infrastructure upgrades initiated by Bowlsby coincided with a different approach to the admissions process under Richard Shaw, who was appointed dean in the summer of 2005.

Shaw embraces the role of sports in the university culture. He plans to attend the Sun Bowl, calls it a “privilege” to watch Stanford’s coaches at work and said he takes “great pride in the success of our teams.”

That view stands in stark contrast to that of Shaw’s predecessor. Robin Mamlet was not a fan of major college athletics, sources said. The inconsistency of her decisions and poor communication between her office and the coaches caused problems for many Stanford teams. (Mamlet could not be reached for comment.)

Shaw said Mamlet’s approach was never discussed with the Stanford administration prior to his appointment, but from the outset, sources said, he took a more opened-minded view of athletics — not surprising given that he was once the dean of admissions at Michigan.

“I’ve been around Big Ten sports,” he said.

Shaw has been consistent in his rulings and willing to communicate his expectations to coaches in all sports, creating more efficiency in the multi-year process of getting high school recruits admitted.

“He’s a straight-shooter,” Harbaugh said. “He says, ‘Bring me a guy with a certain (academic) profile.’ And then it’s up to us to take those parameters to the high school coaches and the kids and the parents and say, ‘Here’s what it will take.’

“When you can get the process started with sophomores and juniors, it’s easier. And if the kids know the bar they have to hit, they’ll get to it.”

That bar varies by recruit, just as it does for all students. (Approximately 10 percent of freshman applicants are admitted at Stanford.)

Admittance depends on a slew of factors, including socio-economic background. But the same general standards that were used to admit star running back Toby Gerhart in 2006 (before Harbaugh was hired) were used to admit starting quarterback Andrew Luck in 2008.

“Compromises on admissions are not what has turned the (football) program around,” Etchemendy wrote. “Just take a look: Both Toby and Andrew were high school valedictorians.”

*****************

As Bowlsby worked to upgrade the football infrastructure, Harbaugh went about fixing the on-field product. His first move, and perhaps his most important, was to improve the players’ attitudes.

“You look at the numbers, from one win to eight wins, and there’s a direct relationship between not liking football and having a passion for the game,” said offensive lineman Chris Marinelli, a fifth-year senior.

“We needed direction in a bad way, and the coaches provided it. You can’t accomplish anything without wanting to be here every day.”

Harbaugh also created a more competitive atmosphere — in the weight room, on the practice field, everywhere.

He revamped the strength program, preached toughness and instilled a belief that Stanford could beat anyone anywhere (and it did, shocking USC in October of ’07 in one of the greatest upsets in history).

He installed a power running game to take advantage of his best player, Gerhart, who finished second in the recent Heisman Trophy voting.

And Harbaugh worked with Bowlsby to ensure that every branch of the medical staff is on the same page, leading to a stronger, healthier team that recovers faster from injuries.

“There was a disconnect when we first got here,” Harbaugh said. “Now, it’s more of a team effort by everybody.

“To me, it’s easy to see that Stanford, with all its resources, can be a bully in football like it’s a bully academically.”

If it wants to be.

*** For those interested, I wrote a column about Stanford football and the admissions process last February. Here it is .

Jon Wilner

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Great article John. Fantastic turn-around for the card and well deserved nods to those who made it happen.

John

Really nice article wilner. I criticize you a lot so I gotta give you credit here. Thanks for the kind words on bowlsby and harbugh

MostWantedSpartans

Good Luck today!

I’m pulling for you guys to beat Oklahoma. It’s your time now. You know what you have to do. The wild card IMO is the QB position but I think Pritchard gets the nod because of Luck injury. Pritchard has experience in winning big game (USC). I hope Gerhart has a great game. Represent. Do it! Run over ’em!

Alvin

Jon,

Good article. I know you’re limited by space, but I would’ve liked to have read specific examples of the competitive atmosphere under Harbaugh. Also, the problems of Stanford football were really created under ex-coach Buddy Teevens. Walt Harris was just the wrong man to turn around a sinking ship. Stanford could have kept the momentum of the Willingham years going had they hired someone like Harbaugh immediately after Willingham…instead of hiring Teevens.

On a completely separate topic, do you know why Stanford did not sign or offer a scholarship to Toby Gerhart’s younger brother Garth (who currently starts on the offensive line for Arizona State)? You would think that would be a no-brainer. Maybe had Stanford signed Garth Toby might have stuck around for another year as one last opportunity to play with his brother. His brother would block for him. Also along these lines, Stanford could’ve hired Toby’s dad as an assistant football coach or running backs coach when the former running backs coach took the Western Kentucky job. And you might know that there is another Gerhart who is the 8th or 9th grade and considered the best athlete of the family and plays QB. Hiring Toby’s dad as an assistant – and I hear the mom has a Ph.D., so she could’ve joined the Stanford faculty or staff – would almost guarantee that the youngest Gerhart would play on the Stanford football team in 4 years. Again, I’ve always wondered why Stanford didn’t sign Toby’s brother Garth.

mk92

Hiring Toby’s dad as an assist would be a bush league move IMHO.

Ranger John

Alvin,
coaches hire family or former athletes coaches when the recruit is blackmailing the “U” and telling him he could go else where. Don’t think a high school coach has the credentials that lots of RB coaches out there have.

Ron Swanson

What a gutless outing by the fightin’ trees today and what a turnout by all those Stanfurd fans.

Embarrassing.

Stanford85

C’mon Ron. They played a close and respectable game without their second best player in Andrew Luck. I thought they did well in keeping it close with Oklahoma knowing that Stanford had no passing game, stacking the box against Toby virtually every play. What we saw was a familiar sight, last year’s Luck-less offense.

Alvin

mk92 and RJ,

You can call it what you want, but I would call it a smart move – hiring Toby’s dad. He’ an accomplished high school coach and there is plenty of precendent for hiring a high school coach to “secure” certain athletes. Gus Malzhan was hired as an Arkansas assistant out of Springdale High several years ago and brought with him Mitch Mustain, Damian Williams and another big recruit. It didn’t work out that well for the players but Malzhan is now O-coordinator at Auburn and did a fantastic job with Chris Todd and the Tigers offense. And if the coach or recruits have the leverage to “blackmail” a university, then why shouldn’t they play that card? We all do it in our own lives as employees and customers.

I’m glad you at least agree with me that Stanford should’ve signed Toby’s brother, Garth. Stanford dropped the ball on that one.

MostWantedSpartans

DABNABIT!

If somebody would have told me that the Pac10 and WAC would only have 3 win combined before the bowl season began I would have thought they were nuts.

Who’s left to represent?

Boise and Oregon?

milo

Good effort Stanfurd trees. Playing OK in Texas is a tough assignment. Now it’s onto hoops. Saturday at Haas should be fun…and frankly I think Stanfurd is better then advertised.

p.s. hiring Gerhart’s Dad or is not only bush league but it could be an NCAA violation. If it wasn’t a problem rest assured the SEC would be full of football staffers who just happen to be the parents/relatives of 5-stars signees. Reggie Bush’s whole family would be $C staffers.

Alvin

Milo,

Explain how it could be an NCAA violation to hire a player’s dad? Many college players play for their dads who coach the team. Montgomery’s son is an assistant on the Cal-Berkeley basketball team. Faculty members get hired on condition that their spouses get hired too. Universities grant special treatment to applicants whose parents donate a lot of money to the school. I could go on with many examles. You’re just blowing smoke.

My suggestion for Stanford football when/if Harbaugh leaves: Hire Gerhart’s dad as head coach. He’s a successful and experienced coach who raised 5 college scholarship children (3 at Stanford) with a sixth one on the way. He also helps Gerhart out during games – Gerhart looks up to him for signals when he’s on the sidelines.

Furdman

Milo, I feel a little bad that you and your Cal buddies took it in the shorts again this year, but I don’t feel too bad because you guys continually pop off about a Cal football program that slips deeper into the PAC 10 standings each year. You guys seem completely clueless about Tedford’s poor coaching abilities! Anyway, I think Stanford proved yesterday that they are really the best 2009 PAC 10 team at least until Oregon plays later today. Without their future all-american QB they had the Sooners on the ropes & lead most of the way. The Cardinal represented themselves quite well yesterday in El Paso.. Also, I believe Gerhart showed the country that the wrong RB won the Heisman this year.

StanTheMan

The Sun Bowl showed me two things:
1. Tavita Pritchard never was a D1 quality starting QB
2. We are damn lucky to have Andrew Luck

Luck plays, Stanford wins by 14.

mk92

Fair point, Stan. OTOH, if Bradford plays, OU is in the Fiesta Bowl, not the Sun Bowl. We are on the rise, for sure, but athletically, OU is in another class.

Scott Sipe

Sun Bowl shows me that Harbaugh is still not a good play caller. Best RB in the nation and pass on 4th and 2. What a dope. Harbaugh looks better because of Gerhardt. Let’s see how he does next year. I suspect 6-6.

Stanford High Life

I too am beginning to question Coach Harbaugh. Let’s be frank. When you have the Doak Walker Award winner, shouldn’t the record be better than 8-5?

Alvin – you can’t be serious about hiring Gerhardt’s Dad as the next head football coach?!?!? Does the name Gerry Faust mean anything to you? High school success does not translate to college success. If it did, Notre Dame would have hired DeLaSalle’s Bob Ladouceur instead of Brian Kelly.

MEG Hoopster

Harbaugh and his team did not deliver in El Paso. The Sun Bowl was close on the scoreboard but not anywhere else.

StanTheMan

mk – big difference. OU played without Bradford all year. Their record reflects the team that took the field yesterday. Ours did not, and yet we still almost won.

And those of you who criticize Harbaugh’s play-calling, for once I disagree. He rode his big horse yesterday – 30+ carries for 135 yards.

StanTheMan

Pac-10 goes 2-5 in bowls. Not a good showing at all.

CoachCato

12 days until we get pimped by Harbs with the NFL rumors. Stanford Man you bet, until an NFL offer comes up.

StanTheMan

Not sure if it’s even that long. The firings will begin on Monday.

Cali_in_VA

What the hell is a “well-deserved nod?”

Alvin

SHL,

That’s a very bad argument – to say that because one high school coach failed that must mean that others would fail too. It’s like saying because one ex-Stanford coach failed at Notre Dame then other Stanford coaches would also fail at Notre Dame. You should evaluate each coach – whether high school, college, or pro – based on that person’s own skills, experiences, leadership, past success, etc. In your view, had Norm Chow failed as an offensive coordinator would that mean that future Chinese coaches will fail too because one Chinese coach failed? Of course not.

Spiny Norman

For those who criticize Stanford’s final play, JH did call a run to Gerhart. Pritchard audibled out of it. You can debate whether Pritchard made the right read. But JH intended Gerhart to carry the ball.

With regard to Garth Gerhart, a little research will indicate that Stanford was not one of his final schools. He chose ASU over Colorado and Hawaii. He may or may not have been academically qualified for Stanford, but he wanted to go somewhere else. Anyone with an older sibling knows that sometimes you want to be out of his/her shadow.

Alvin

SN,

I did a little research and he had a 3.8 GPA and 1350 SATs (sounded like the old SAT format), so he’s qualified. Plus, you make an exception for the brother of a star player and when there is another future star – the youngest brother – in the 8th grade.

You sound like someone who doesn’t have a brother. You don’t know about athletic brothers. They stick together. And there is no such thing as being “over-shadowed” when you play different positions. In fact, Garth would block for his brother. I read that they talk every day and are very close. No surprise there.

My main point in bringing this up was that perhaps Gerhart would stay for one more year with his brother on the same team…as one last chance in his career to play alongside his brother. Stanford dropped the ball. We might’ve enjoyed watching Gerhart at Stanford for one more season had they signed younger brother Garth.